Map your stops – It seems so obvious, but it takes more than just “Google mapping” the closest gas station. Proper trip planning entails calculating the distance of the entire trip and inserting stops along the way based on hours driven, fuel requirements and availability of stopping locations. Depending on your location, you’ll need to incorporate weather possibilities, traffic patterns and road work into your plan. Leaving any of this open to chance may create a risky situation.

Plan for an emergency – You can never be over-prepared for an emergency. Stock your truck with key items like snacks, emergency supplies, medications if required and extra clothes in case you break down in a remote area. Technology is a trucker’s friend, however, don’t discount the value of a good atlas in case there is a technological failure of any kind.

Trip planning is a great way to optimize your fleet and your drivers’ job satisfaction at the same time, in fact, it’s a requirement in many instances. Logging your hours and adhering to regulations will keep you safe from liability and fines.

In addition to staying in line with regulations, poor trip planning can have many other negative results. It goes without saying that you could run out of gas but you can also be forced to refuel at the wrong time leading to issues with your truck’s weight and slowing your schedule. Safety is always a consideration too; you never want to your driver or your fleet to end up in an unsafe area of town because they did not plan their stops well.

Wiers Fleet Partners is here to be your proactive partner, assisting you with your fleet’s sales, service and technology needs. We’ve got 100+ years of expertise behind everything we do.